Notable Funding Rounds across the EU:
- London based Motion-capture company Move.AI has secured $10M in seed funding, with investors including Warner Music, RKKVC, and Level2 Ventures. Move AI simplifies the integration of realistic human movement into animated characters by utilizing patented AI, biomechanics, and physics to transform 2D video into 3D motion data.
- Copenhagen-based IT management platform Marts has secured €1.75M in pre-seed funding to advance its solution streamlining IT procurement, asset management, and support services. The funding round was led by Denmark's PreSeed Ventures.
- French energy transition startup Inicio has raised €1.5M in seed funding to advance its efforts in identifying suitable land for solar panel development.
New Venture Funds:
- UK-based Atomico secured $1.1B in funding. Atomico invests in ambitious tech founders at Series A and beyond with a particular focus on Europe, leveraging deep operational experience to supercharge their growth.
- Paris-based HCVC raised a $75M fund dedicated to "hardtech". The firm will back pre-seed and seed startups in various sectors such as climate, defense, and aerospace, with investments ranging from €250k to €2.5M per company. HCVC aims to invest in up to 40 startups over the next five years, supporting breakthrough technologies that have a competitive edge.
- Spanish investment fund Leadwind closed its funding round at $250M. The fund aims to support entrepreneurs in Southern Europe and Latin America throughout their growth journey, from early stages to IPOs.
Startup Funding Rounds & Acquisitions:
- Polish-based AI Clearing, an AI-powered construction progress tracking and quality control platform, closed a $14M Series A round led by Prudence.
- Romanian AI-driven creative automation platform, Creatopy, has raised $10M in a Series A investment round led by top investors 3VC and Point Nine. Creatopy simplifies ad creation, personalization, scaling, and optimization for brands and agencies.
- Romanian proptech Nooka Space raised €2M to expand into Portugal and Italy. Founded in 2020, Nooka Space provides tech-enabled, accessible office spaces equipped with Wi-Fi and charging slots.
- Certifier, a Krakow-based startup with Ukrainian founders, has raised $700k in a round from Movens Capital, FundingBox Deep Tech Fund, Black Pearls VC, and the Czech firm DEPO Ventures. Certifier developed a system enabling users to manage their digital credentials effectively.
- Ringil, a Prague-based company, focusing on smart logistics systems, has secured €615k. Notable investors include N1, Purple Ventures, StartGuide, and Depo Ventures. Ringil offers a platform for real-time shipment tracking, providing essential information for logistics players.
- Polish HRtech OstendiHR platform raised €433k led by Smartlink Partners. Startup offers competency assessment tools for organizations, serving clients like Santander Consumer Bank and CD Projekt.
- Romanian healthtech Zitamine Nutrition secures €350k led by V7 Capital, Cleverage VC, and The Mavers Ventures, with Bravva Angels community for expanding into Eastern European markets. Zitamine offers personalized vitamin subscriptions based on customer needs, delivering monthly doses.
- Founded by Ukrainians RevMyWork, secured over $100k in a pre-seed investment round from two business angels, Marty Krátký-Katz and Pavla Bobošíková. RevMyWork operates a platform where users can find IT specialists to review their work through video formats.
- Polish company Grafik was acquired by German investor and accelerator Everfield. The platform optimizes personnel costs and simplifies scheduling.
- Lithuania's Vinted Go, low cost and eco-friendly shipping solutions, has acquired Dutch delivery scaleup Homerr, enhancing their C2C delivery capabilities.
- Polish based IQ Biozoom secured investments from VC Link. IQ Biozoom is developing non-invasive technology to monitor biomarkers like glucose and lactates through saliva analysis, providing a painless alternative to current methods.
Startup Calls:
- Estonian accelerator Startup Wise Guys and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) have initiated Growth Ukraine, an accelerator program focused on empowering Ukrainian B2B SaaS startups. The program targets startups with at least one Ukrainian founder, a scalable operational product, and global ambitions. Selected startups will undergo a 4-month program emphasizing strategy assessment, sales, marketing, people strategy, and finance. Apply till 22 October
- Polski Fundusz Rozwoju S.A. and partners launched IDA Bootcamp, a program fostering dual-use tech for civil and military markets. The "Digital Baltic" challenge focuses on enhancing marine safety through tech solutions. Participants can access workshops, operational testing, and investor networking, aiming for rapid tech implementation in 6-9 months. The first round's recruitment ends on October 17, 2023.
- Aulers, a prestigious startup award in Poland, is now open for submissions until October 31. The 13th edition seeks to recognize startups with international potential. A jury of top-class experts will evaluate entries, and the final gala is scheduled for December 13 in Warsaw.
Related Posts:
VC & Startup Weekly News, September 23 - 29, 2023 (by Sofia Drobychevskaya, Editor, Vestbee)
VC & Startup Weekly News From CEE, September 16 - 22, 2023 (by Sofia Drobychevskaya, Editor, Vestbee)
VC & Startup Weekly News, September 9 - 15, 2023 (by Sofia Drobychevskaya, Editor, Vestbee)
